Motion: Pritam Singh on government response to political salaries review

Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh said WP continues to disagree with the formula used to determine ministerial salaries, preferring its 2012 proposal to peg them to a multiple of an MP’s allowance, which is in turn derived from the salary of a public sector appointee. He also questioned if it is salary or the realities of political service that dissuades high-earning private sector individuals from entering politics. Mr Singh said WP agrees with the prime minister’s “more sober approach” of initially raising ministers’ salaries by up to nine per cent. However, he called for more information to be published on their actual remuneration, pointing to “some public confusion” over the variable component. The revised framework providing wider salary ranges and more flexibility to differentiate ministers’ pay will also lead to greater public scrutiny, he added. Mr Singh also said remuneration is not the device through which WP attracts or can attract candidates. On mayors, he asked that their scope, role and function be included in an upcoming study of how payments for community-related political roles should be determined. He spoke in parliament on Thursday (Sep 10).